I said goodbye before I left, now at least on speaking terms with the guy. Then, I took some time to check on Velos, who seemed perky after what had happened in the jungle. Surprisingly, the secicao hadn't had as much of a draining effect on him as usual. Perhaps, I loathe to admit, it was due to that green coruscating armour on him.
After feeding him a little secicao I had some time to wonder the palace. Sukina joined me after an urgent meeting she apparently had to have with Gerhaun. Which was good, because a question rose in my head that I'm surprised I hadn't thought to ask before.
“Sukina,” I said as we walked the corridors away from the courtyard where we'd met. “I remember Gerhaun saying that secicao is a blight, but this got me thinking. Dragons need secicao to feed on, so if we destroy the secicao, we'd also have to kill off the dragons, right?”
Sukina peeled her gaze away from a mosaic on the wall of a Grey swooping down to tear apart a red-eyed war automaton. “I wondered when you'd ask,” she said. “But our goal is not to destroy the secicao.”
“But it will always be a threat, right?”
“In a way. You have to remember that before we had boats, secicao had no way to leave the Southlands. It also cannot grow there unless it uses its chemical formula to acidify the soil. This land belongs to dragons and secicao, and we'd be wrong to try and change that.”
“So dragons should have never left the Southlands and I'm wrong to keep Velos in Tow?”
“Not at all,” Sukina said. “Velos needed to leave the Southlands to become a Blue.”
“Say again?”
“It's the only way for a dragon to become fertile,” Sukina said. “To have a taste of the wider world away from the secicao clouds. Stay here too long and he'd become a Grey himself. Coloured dragons don't belong in the Southlands.”
“So if secicao covered the world,” I said. “Then no dragons could gain colour.”
“Exactly,” Sukina said. “And while man would choke to death, dragonkind wouldn't be able to reproduce and eventually die too. By feeding on secicao, dragons help stop its growth. But King Cini II's Dragonheats tipped the ecological balance and now there's few dragons of colour left.”
I'd never realised before how special Velos was. It surprised me that they allowed us to take Velos out into danger if he was so valuable.
But Sukina again read my thoughts. “At the end of the day, we believe you and Velos are free agents. You weren't born to this dragon queen, which means Gerhaun by dragon law has no right to control you. In fact, given you’re an Ambassador between mankind and dragonkind, you’ll eventually come to meet the other dragon queens. Then, you’ll roam free amongst the dragon fortresses and serve all the dragon queens.”
“But why can’t I meet them now?” I said.
“Because you’re not quite trained yet. Since the dragonheats, the dragon queens have wanted to keep extra secrecy about their locations. Gerhaun is the only of the dragon queens who now works with humans. The rest are only happy to meet with dragonseers, and only those that have been approved by all the dragon queens.”
“Then, when do I start my training?”
We stopped outside a small oak door. Sukina unlocked it with a key from her keyring.
“Right now,” Sukina said. “This way.” And she stepped inside.
✽✽✽
The room was tiny. Barely large enough to fit one person, let alone two. It had no windows, smelled virtually of nothing and, once Sukina closed the door, the whole place plunged into darkness. Then, I realized how airless it was, and I started gasping for breath.
“Sukina,” I said. “What are you doing? Open the door!”
First things first, she replied. Speak in the collective unconscious. There’s enough air in here to breathe, so long as you keep your breathing shallow. This is where you begin to learn to mask your thoughts.
But I was hyperventilating and there was no way I’d calm myself down. Blood pounded to my head and it throbbed at the temples. “Sukina, open the door!” I gasped. I couldn’t even think to talk in the collective unconscious.
Sukina sighed and a slit of light came from the doorway letting in stale air. It shone off one side of Sukina’s face, and she observed me for a moment. I started to calm down.
Pontopa, she said in the collective unconscious. I do not wish to harm you and no harm will come to you in this room. Part of learning to mask your thoughts involves trusting yourself not to fear what you cannot see. Now, are you ready to try this again?
This time, I was glad she’d asked. I nodded.
Good, then empty your mind. Focus on your breathing and keep it slow, shallow and steady. There’s enough air in here for us both to survive.
She observed me for a moment, probably to see if I’d calmed down. Then, she once again closed the door.
This time, strangely, I didn’t feel like I was suffocating. I did as Sukina asked, listening to the sound of my breathing as I kept my body absolutely still. But still, I find my heart beating in my chest. I tried to make out the shape of Sukina in the darkness that shrouded me, but I only saw swirling patterns of imagined light.
Sit down, Sukina said. The more your preserve your resources, the easier your first time will be.
I lowered myself into a crouch and then used my hands to find the cold, dusty floor before I sat down on it. But as much as I could steady the rhythm of my breath, I couldn’t stop my heart hammering in my chest. What happens next? I asked Sukina.
You don’t have to worry about that. Just know that nothing will harm you in here. Now, take some time to observe your thoughts.
That was then the anxiety washed over me once again. I thought about my parents first, and a horrific image came to mind of them hanging from the gibbets, in the old vineyards just outside their cottage. Then, I was panicking, again. Hyperventilating. I grasped at my chest and tried to still my breathing. But there wasn’t enough air in this room.
The door opened and some light once again came in room. Sukina stood by the door and between us and me, dust motes floated in the air.
Do you want some time? she said. Maybe, you’re not quite ready for this yet.
I took a moment to recover, then I spoke back in the collective unconscious. I don’t know what I’m meant to do here. I said. It seems that as we wait, the air becomes less and less. What exactly is my goal?
Remember, Sukina replied. That I’m observing your thoughts here. Once you’ve learned to mask them, I won’t be able to hear them at all. You can trust me when I say that we can sit here for hours, if only you treat your thoughts the right way. It’s not the lack of air here that’s causing you to suffocate, but the anxiety that you allow to roam free. Distance yourself, Pontopa, and you’ll become much more powerful in everything that you do.
I shook my head. I can’t. I mean, I just don’t know how. And I can’t help but worry about everything.
Maybe we should give it a break? Try again another day.
Maybe… I said. Then, I gritted my teeth. Actually, I want to try one more time.
Sukina examined me again. Okay. Take the time you need to prepare.
I’m ready.
Very well. Sukina, once again, closed the door and I could see nothing once again.
I listened to the rhythm of my lungs. Not forcing it and trying to keep my breathing as slow and steady as possible. As if dreaming, images flooded to my mind of Faso putting the armour of Velos. How Faso looked at me after I’d punched him the face. Papo’s face after I’d shouted at him in my cottage. But I didn’t let myself become emotionally attached to these images. It was like the other day when I flicked the thoughts away through swigs of brandy. But this time, instead of closing the thoughts off, I let them drift casually by.
You’re there, Sukina’s voice came in my head and this too seemed strangely distant. Now, let’s test it more. Remember, there is nothing in this room that can hurt you.
I heard something click, and then a grinding sound like stone grindi
ng against stone. Then came a chittering sound – spiders. I shuddered for a moment, then I remembered. I couldn’t let myself become afraid.
Then came the sound of little feet clinking against stone. Whatever that thing in the room with us was, it moved fast along the wall. I had two options in this situation – either panic or continue to focus on the sound of my breathing. I remembered Sukina’s words that nothing in this room could harm me. And so, I placed trust in that and listened intently to chittering, without emotions.
Then, something touched my leg. Not sharp, but the creature was testing somewhere to walk. Then the thing walked on to my lap, as heavy as a cat but with thin spindly feet. An instinct came to my mind to push it away and back up into the darkness. No, but that too was distant inside me mind.
This creature – it was cold and felt even colder it rested its bulk upon my lap. After that, the chittering stopped and Sukina opened the door, letting the light back in. I looked down to see some kind of giant spider automaton lying dormant upon my lap.
“You did it,” Sukina said out loud. “You almost masked out everything. Although it’s very, very hard to keep out initial fear.”
I pushed the automaton off me and stood up. It scurried back up to a hole in the wall and a concealed stone doorway slid shut behind it. “You didn’t warn me about that,” I said.
“Of course not. Fears and anxieties will always emerge unexpected. The hardest part is knowing when to cast the leash when your mind is unaware. Now come, let’s go and get some brandy to celebrate.”
“Sounds great,” I said. And we stepped out of the room.
But before we had time to say more, we were distracted by the sounds of a commotion coming along the corridor. Heavy footsteps approaching with urgency and two or three men arguing so fast, it was hard to make out what any of them were saying.
I saw Wiggea turning the corner first, wearing his navy-blue sash. He was accompanied by two lower ranked mustard suited guards. In his hand, Wiggea carried a slip of paper that looked like it had come fresh off a printing press. When he saw me, the features on his face fell.
“Miss Wells,” he said as he approached. “Miss Wells, thank goodness I've found you. General Sako said to contact you immediately as soon as the Hummingbird arrived.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“We found you as soon as we could, Maam.” He handed me the slip of paper. I caught glimpse of the words Five Hamlets and urgent before Wiggea explained the meaning. “We've heard from our contacts in Tow. The Five Hamlets is under martial law and your farm is under lockdown.”
My jaw dropped and Sukina sprung immediately into action. “Come on,” she said. “We need to go and speak to Gerhaun. Before you do anything rash.”
PART V
Cipao
“I've always believed that man should live with an indomitable spirit and a willingness to charge.”
Cipao Wells in the Tow Observer
CHAPTER 18
The atmosphere at Fortress Gerhaun had changed from lethargy to almost panic. Sukina and I picked up pace towards Gerhaun's treasure room, accompanied by three guards. Hummingbirds whizzed past us in the other direction. From the rooms off the corridors, emanated attentive voices and the furious clicking of typewriter keys. The whole base was acting as if preparing for an attack, and I couldn't help but wonder why a sleepy village so far away from the fortress would cause so much concern.
We all know that the only option now is for you to leave us, Sukina said in my mind. And we're making urgent preparations.
I wished then that I also had the direct connection with Gerhaun that Sukina had. Why did she always want to meet me instead of just speaking directly to me in the collective unconscious like she did with Sukina? It felt as if I was passing some kind of initiation. Perhaps when I learned to consistently calm my mind as Sukina had demonstrated, then that channel to Gerhaun would finally open up.
But Sukina didn't answer my concerns as we were already at Gerhaun's massive double doors, towering up before us. Wiggea stepped forwards to open one of the doors and gestured us inside.
Gerhaun wasn't the only one waiting in her treasure room. Asinal Winda, the chief engineer was also there and Faso. They had set up a screen, on one side of Gerhaun's throne room. Ratter was placed on a trestle stool in front of that, with a wide beam of light emanating from his open mouth. But it wasn't that which drew my attention away from Gerhaun's resplendence so much as the images that the beam cast on the screen.
My stomach churned as I realised what these images showed. Sepia photographs of Papo's vineyard — everything he had worked for — ransacked. Charred, smoking dry vines stretching for miles. My cottage now rubble and a huge hole knocked out of one of the corners of my parents' two storey cottage. Velos' stable now four pillars lying flat on the ground with his secicao trough upturned and in flames. The barn that held Papo's wine also on fire.
More photos displayed Faso's workshop, pieces of warped brass and wood sprawled across the charred ground. More images of the Five Hamlets' streets, red paint splashed haphazardly on the pretty doors of the rustic houses. No one was on the streets, not even a cat or a dog.
“I… I…” These were the only words I could muster, shocked to see that Cini would do such a thing. There was no reason that my parents should suffer like this, let alone an entire village, just because one of their villagers got into a minor scuffle at Fraw.
Faso walked over to Ratter and tapped the automaton's back to cut off the beam. He looked back at the screen his body hunched up like a crippled dog.
“How long ago was this?” Sukina asked Winda.
“The Hummingbird came through just twenty minutes ago. But the photos from it have timestamps on them from a few hours ago, taking into account the change in time-zone. Mr Gordoni taught us a technique for storing photos in the machines, which is how we were able to get them over so fast.”
She cast Faso an appreciative and gentle smile. Faso didn't react.
“My parents…” I said. “What about my parents? Are they—”
“We're getting information every minute, more Hummingbirds relaying this between this room and our comms office. We're still unclear on the situation, but we do know where your parents are.”
“Where?”
“Apparently in the prison underneath the town hall. Fortunately, right now, reports have come across that they're unharmed.”
“The holding cells, you mean?”
“Underneath the mayor's office, yes.”
These cells were put there seventy or so years ago, to hold shady traders caught selling contraband secicao that hadn't been commissioned by the king. But, rumour had it the only time they'd been used the last twenty years was when a five-year-old girl stole bubble-gum from the local convenience store. She stayed there for half an hour while her parents waited upstairs, which was enough to teach her a lesson.
“But, what's the latest?” I said. “Have you been able to check on them recently?”
“We are still assessing the situation. But it would appear they're under some kind of automaton guard. A new prototype…” She glanced at Faso, “which the locals have reported is coloured green.”
“My technology…” Faso muttered. “Stolen.” How could he be concerned about technology at a time like this?
The room trembled a little as Gerhaun leant towards me. Her voice came soft and deep, lacing the very walls of this chamber. “I understand, Pontopa that you will have to leave us for a while.”
I nodded. “With Velos,” I said, remembering what Sukina had told me before about Velos' importance.
“With Velos,” Gerhaun repeated, “and Sukina too.”
“And me,” Faso said. “I must reclaim what they haven't destroyed.” I guess he was no longer planning to move to Slaro and start his shady business right under the king's nose.
Sukina glanced at Faso then up at Gerhaun, who gave an approving nod. “And Faso,” Sukina said. “We'll take only Velos.
Any other Greys might compromise our ability to return.”
“But how will we get through?” I asked. “They'll have surely fortified the Southern Barrier by now.” The worst thing I could do right now was get myself killed, especially after everything I had promised my parents. Although, in all honesty, my capture or death might save the Five Hamlets.
Sukina looked at me in alarm. I'd forgotten she could read my thoughts like that. I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by more commotion at the door.
“Blunders and dragonheats, what in the Gods Themselves’ name is going on here.” General Sako barrelled into the room, reeking of whiskey and secicao smoke. He carried a document, around four pages in length, typed up on heavy matte paper. “Daughter, you are not about to attempt a pass through a fortified land and get yourself killed for no reason. This is a suicide mission do you understand? Why are these plans being drafted without my permission?”
It wasn't Sukina but Gerhaun who replied. “General Sako. I gave the orders myself as there was no time to wait for you to drag yourself out of bed.”
“But I'm the general here. Isn't that what you employ me for, to give advice in urgent situations?”
“This isn't a military but a dragonseer matter. We understand your concerns, general, but right this moment is time to step down.”
Sako's face almost glowed purple. I knew he had a lot of fight in him, but I'd never thought he'd use it against Gerhaun. “Blunders and dragonheats, Forsi, this is my daughter you're talking about. I forbid this.”
Gerhaun lifted her head and she almost looked like she wanted to lurch down and snap General Sako's head off.
Sukina stepped between Sako and Gerhaun. “Father,” she said. “You have to let me go sometimes. Dragonseers look after each other and this mission is of huge importance to Pontopa. An attack against Pontopa's hometown is an attack against our own.”
Dragonseer (Secicao Blight Book 1) Page 15